SPORTS BRIEFS

Agencies

ICE HOCKEY

US, Canada make quarters

The US, Canada, Russia and Switzerland clinched spots in the quarter-finals at the ice hockey world championships in Helsinki on Sunday. The US beat Germany 3-0 due to the goaltending of 19-year-old John Gibson, while Jeff Skinner scored the game-winner in the third period in Canada’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic. Bobby Butler and Paul Stastny scored within the first five minutes for the US, and Stephen Gionta put the game away midway through the third period. Gibson finished with 30 saves. Skinner went around the net for a wraparound goal against the Czechs. Wayne Simmonds gave Canada the lead in the first period, before Petr Koukal tied it six minutes later. Reigning champions Russia came back after two losses to beat Slovakia 3-1, and unbeaten Switzerland defeated Norway by the same score to win their sixth game.

TENNIS

Dimitrov beats Baghdatis

Coming off his upset of top-ranked Novak Djokovic in Madrid, Grigor Dimitrov opened his Italian Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Cypriot veteran Marcos Baghdatis in Rome on Sunday. At 21, Dimitrov is the youngest player in the Foro Italico draw. The Bulgarian is ranked No. 28. Dimitrov will next face ninth-seeded Richard Gasquet, who beat Sam Querrey of the US 6-2, 7-6 (10/8). John Isner, the only other American in the draw, was eliminated by Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.

RUGBY SEVENS

NZ beat Australia in final

New Zealand set the seal on their Sevens World Series victory by winning the ninth and final round in London on Sunday. Six weeks before the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the New Zealanders beat Australia 47-12 in the Twickenham Cup final to finish the series with 173 points, 41 ahead of second-placed South Africa on 132. Fiji finish third in the Series on 121, ahead of Samoa (104) and Kenya (99), who reached a fifth Cup semi-final of the season in London.

CYCLING

Westra leads in California

Lieuwe Westra of the Netherlands easily outsprinted Spaniard Francisco Mancebo to claim the sweltering and hilly stage 1 of the Tour of California and assume the overall race lead on Sunday. Westra, an eight-year pro who claimed his 12th career win, completed the 165km Escondido road race in 4 hours, 31 minutes and 33 seconds. Mancebo finished second a few bikes lengths behind on the opening day of the eighth annual race that featured more than 3,660m of desert climbing. Peter Sagan of Slovakia, who won five stages of the race last year, finished third, trailing by 6 seconds. Westra received a 10-second bonus and leads Mancebo by 4 seconds in the eight-day race.

SOCCER

Eindhoven finish second

PSV Eindhoven will play in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round next season after finishing second in the Dutch league, following a 3-1 loss at Twente in the last round. Feyenoord are level on points with PSV after their 1-0 win over NAC Breda on Sunday, but Eindhoven have a better goal-difference. Vitesse Arnhem finished fourth after a 1-0 loss at VVV-Venlo. Feyenoord and Vitesse will play in the Europa League, along with AZ, who won the Dutch Cup. PSV midfielder Mark van Bommel retired after the match. The 36-year-old Van Bommel played for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan, and captained the Netherlands team that lost the 2010 World Cup final. Ajax have already clinched the Dutch title and a berth in the Champions League.